– Early favorites: TK the classical-music-breaker (who can solve a Rubik’s Cube in 45 seconds!), Lisa the cocky contemporary dancer, and the trampoliney-guy who mixed some amazing aerials into a reasonably good contemporary routine.
– Leah Miller is a black hole where charisma goes to die.
– Tre Armstrong looks to be a staggeringly good judge – she’s intelligent, observant and eloquent in her praise and criticism. Judgewise she is like a more lucid version of Li’l C. Also she is hotter than Li’l C, which is good.
– Bitchy Blake from America’s Season 1 is a judge and a choreographer for this show. This is so wonderful it makes bad people die inside a little bit. And then he shows up when the judges are about to send someone packing and DEMANDS that the guy be allowed to do his choreography, because he is Blake Fucking McGrath and he Gets What He Wants Dammit. HE IS SUCH A FUCKING DIVA AND IT IS FANTASTIC.
– I was prepared for Mary Murphy’s guest appearance to be as bad as Mary Murphy can get, but she was remarkably restrained for Mary Murphy. That is about the best you can hope for, really.
– My one concern at this point is that this show will follow the Canadian Idol path: namely, that the rest of the country will once again indulge their passion for hating Toronto and vote down Torontonian dancers over, ahem, slightly less talented dancers from other parts of the country, which is what happens on Idol every fucking year.
(Non-Canadians will not understand this, but you know how Americans from not New York City have this strange antipathy for New York City? Take that antipathy, multiply it by a factor of fifty, and you have what non-Torontonian Canucks think of Toronto. Which, speaking as a Toronto resident, I can assure you we simply don’t understand. My working theory is that Toronto-haters are working out their massively depressing envy in a fashion not unlike a third-grade boy smacking around the girl he secretly likes.)
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31 users responded in this post
So…by that logic, Mookie should have won this year, I guess?;)
…otherwise, I’m right with you on all of these observations. May have more to say next time ’round, when we get Blake on the actual floor.
I feel the need to clarify for non-Canadian readers that there is some debate as to who started the “everyone hates Toronto” thing.
As a Vancouverite, I maintain that the Torontonians started it, and that most people outside of Toronto didn’t really care one way or the other until Toronto started in with the “well obviously you just don’t appreciate what an awesome place we are because you aren’t as good as us” smugness.
Of course, all Torontonians I have ever met disagree with me. And then insult my hometown.
I’d personally reply that no hate can compare to that of Boston’s hate of the City of New York.
Laura: Considering that it was, I believe, a Torontonian who made the documentary Let’s All Hate Toronto…you may be right. OTOH, one of my old students–who’s about to move to Vancouver–told me today that the Vancouverites he’s staying with had warned him not to tell anyone he was from Toronto, if he wanted to get a job while he was there. So take that as you may.
– My one concern at this point is that this show will follow the Canadian Idol path: namely, that the rest of the country will once again indulge their passion for hating Toronto and vote down Torontonian dancers over, ahem, slightly less talented dancers from other parts of the country, which is what happens on Idol every fucking year.
Wrong.
As the one person who actually watches Canadian Idol we haven’t had a decent person from Toronto to back period. The “Best” Of the Toronto people was like Mookie from this year and he wasn’t even too good. There was someone decent from Thornhill once but she didn’t make the top 10.
Canadian Idol the only people who vote are from the East Coast so it usually becomes lets get the good person to beat the east coaster so he doesn’t win because he sucks.
Canadian Idol has had about 6 good people period. Don’t think any were from Toronto.
and though I have nto watched yet. Leah Miller though annoying is hot. Hopefully her hotness saves her shitty hosting abilities.
Just stop forcing us to watch the Leafs every Saturday and the antipathy will be cut in half, I swear.
Why does the wind blow west across Canada? It wants to get as far away from toronto as possible!
Here’s a better analogy for the Toronto hate. You know how New Jersey kinda sucks, right? It’s ugly, the people are jerks and guidos, etc. Now, imagine that New Jersey thinks it routinely mops the floor with the rest of the entire country in terms of coolness. Imagine how angry you’d feel that they.. they DARE believe themselves to be superior to you! That’s Toronto, only New Jersey actually has a coastline.
I’ve actively hooted at people from Toronto, despite holding nothing against them in actuality.
This one is the thing I don’t like about MGK. I even read and find interesting the laws stuff, but dancing reality shows? Ohgodno.
Is even POSSIBLE to ‘vote down’ someone? Aren’t votes positive in this contest?
If so, then you’re just answering your own question.
It IS a nice place to visit, but all the ‘yay Tronno’ I’ve heard over the last 15 years hasn’t moved me at ALL to want to live there, despite the fact that I know many nice people (and aspiring despot-types) who would be there.
I guarantee, the feelings of ill will towards Toronto are not a creation of Torontonians. As a maritime Toronto refugee, I’m treated like I have a social disease when I go back home. “So, when do you have to head back? That’s a shame” and the like, and I’ve lived here for 10 years. I own a house for god’s sake.
My guess is the real problem is not people from Toronto. When I lived in Jasper, I would ask customers in the store I worked at where they were from. People would say Toronto, and I would “Toronto proper, or the 905?” and they would go on to say no, they actually lived in Markam or Woodbridge or the ‘Shwa. One guy was actually from Belleville.
What I’m saying is, this is just one more thing we can blame on the 905’s.
Laura:
Of course, all Torontonians I have ever met disagree with me. And then insult my hometown.
That’s because you’re wrong.
Tripped over any addicts lately?
Seen the sun recently?
// Just doing my duty.
An interesting tale of Toronto.
I was waiting for a 3 A.M. flight to LA in the Faaa-Tahiti airport. (That’s right, the town of Faaa has three a’s in it). My (now) wife and I were sitting in the cafeteria playing cribbage to pass the time, trying to ignore the company of over-refreshed French soldiers (Nice Posting! almost worth joining the French army for.)
I heard the two young backpacker types at the next table talking as they whiled away the time. I looked at Anna and said, “Those guys are from Toronto.” She asked me how I could tell, and I replied that it was because they had no accent whatsoever. (I know, I know). I asked them, and it turned out I was right.
Then we sat around and talked about how much Vancouver sucks with its rain and hippies.
danielle: I find this is a common problem. When I was in college and the topic would arise of where someone was from 95% of people said they were from Chicago. You’d reply with where in Chicago and they’d reply with something like “Oh. Well not Chicago proper. I’m from Aurora.” Well then your not from fucking Chicago are you! I think it’s an attempt to make people feel more impressive then they really are by associating themselves with a big city.
I don’t disagree that there are people out there that hate Toronto but I’ve never heard of such a thing. I’ve always felt that people vote for people that come from their hometown, city, region etc. People from Toronto are just not as hardcore as people from Cape Breton or St. John’s. I’d think the same could be said for people from Vancouver or Ottawa. It’s regional voting more than anything else.
V Says:
September 12th, 2008 la 11:41 am
“I don’t disagree that there are people out there that hate Toronto but I’ve never heard of such a thing. I’ve always felt that people vote for people that come from their hometown, city, region etc. People from Toronto are just not as hardcore as people from Cape Breton or St. John’s. I’d think the same could be said for people from Vancouver or Ottawa. It’s regional voting more than anything else.”
Generally, there are some specifics of the hatred.
Montreallers hate Toronto because we took most of their large corporate head offices from them in the mid 70’s. In the 60’s and 70’s Montreal was “Top City”, but Toronto took that from them.
There’s also some lingering hatred over the Leafs’ dominance in the sixties, but that’s more minor (today).
Vancouverites are like Mac users. They think they’re different, and the phrase “Well, I’m from Vancouver” is used as an announcement of superiority in exactly the same way the phrase “Well, I use a Mac” is used.
In fact, Vancouverites don’t really hate Toronto, they hate everyone except for Vancouverites and Seattleites.
Edmonton and Calgary are a different situation. They view themselves as being stuck in the role of Toronto’s servant. After all, they are resource rich, but the decisions are made in Toronto, and Ontario decides the elections. This goes back to Trudeau and the National Energy Program. They also hate the French.
The rest of Canada (minus a few big cities) is small town or rural. I believe that these folks don’t actually hate Toronto, but are using word “Toronto” in the same way Americans use “New York” to mean “Big City Folk”
Eh, there’s nowhere I really “hate” in Canada — I make fun of some places, but it’s sincerely meant in good fun. I wouldn’t want to live in some places, but that’s generally a matter of weather and/or lack of good Chinese food (a living requirement for me).
I only hate the resentment I get from other people just for having been BORN in a certain city and not loathing myself for it. If you bite my face off before I have a chance to say anything, and routinely insult the place my parents chose to settle in order to give their kids a better life, it’s no wonder I’m an ass to you.
Oh, and I have this exact same problem whenever somebody asks me what university I attended. Barely before the words “U of T” have had a chance to escape my mouth, the person who asked invariably starts giving a long speech on how it’s too big and too impersonal, too intellectual, too academic, and so forth.
These people obviously have an agenda, and it plays right into their hands to challenge them. I frankly cannot care more, and I just nod.
@Mightybaldking
“Torontonians are like Mac users. They think they’re different, and the phrase “Well, I’m from Toronto” is used as an announcement of superiority in exactly the same way the phrase “Well, I use a Mac” is used.”
There, I fixed that for you.
@Laura
Oh, Wow! You changed what he said so it means what you think instead of what he thinks! Way to show him!
Laura Says:
September 12th, 2008 la 2:06 pm
@Mightybaldking
“Torontonians are like Mac users. They think they’re different, and the phrase “Well, I’m from Toronto” is used as an announcement of superiority in exactly the same way the phrase “Well, I use a Mac” is used.”
There, I fixed that for you.
Actually, no you didn’t.
Torontonians are well aware that Vancouver has ocean and mountains.
We know you can ski, mountain bike and swim all in the same day.
We know that you’ll probably never spend a day shovelling snow. Even if you do get a good six inches now and then, the rain will wash it away the next day.
We know that Vancouver has its advantages.
We also know it has it’s disadvantages,
Rain,
Addicted Hippies,
Real estate prices that make Toronto look cheap.
Surfers with ironic facial hair.
The election is over before you get out of bed, (somewhat fixed)
But there is a lower mainland attitude, primarily amonst urban whites, that makes them think they are different and special (yes, I know we’re all special in God’s eyes, but that’s not what I’m talking about) and that all the problems the rest of Canada has don’t apply to Vancouver.
The statement “Well, I’m from Vancouver” is always spoken with slacker disdain — “Well, I’m from heaven on earth and we don’t have those problems there. You should get with the program and learn from us,” — much in the same way Mac users pipe up every time you talk about a computer issue. “I you’d only use a Mac – like I do – you wouldn’t have these problems.” To which I reply, “Oh, are you enjoying those fine Mac Games?”.
“Well, I’m from Vancouver,” is used to discount any issues others have as irrelevant and not important here.
I’ve never heard someone use “Well, I’m from [!Vancouver]” in such a way. Usually, it’s “Well, I’m from Toronto, and we had a similar problem,” Torontonians insert themselves into collective Canada. Perhaps overly forcefully, which would explain the hatred, Vancouverite isolate themselves from collective Canada.
Yeah, we’re a special bunch, but we also recognize the specialness of Maritimers, Quebeckers, Wheat Kings and Oilers.
Yeah, you know, MBK, Vancouverites are actually pretty damn well aware of the problems Vancouver has. We do actually live here. I don’t think I ever stated that Vancouver was superior to anything; I just said that I’m from there, because I am. I’d say “make of that what you will”, but you already have.
I don’t know how much time you’ve spent in Vancouver, or how many people who are actually from Vancouver you’ve talked to, but my experience is that most Vancouverites don’t have anything NEAR the attitude you’re describing. I have yet to meet a person who’s lived here longer than a year who thinks that Vancouver is the Greatest Place Evar OMG. (Then again, the part of Vancouver I’m from is East, where the benefits of Vancouver are less visible and the drawbacks are more so. Admittedly, I’ve met some fairly obnoxious people from West Van that could probably fit your bill – they’re mostly wealthy Albertans who moved to Vancouver to retire, though.)
I have, however, met Torontonians whose attitude about Toronto is pretty much EXACTLY the attitude you’re, um, attributing to Vancouverites. And who’ve given me endless shit for being from Vancouver, much like you’ve been doing throughout the comments on this entry – which is why I have to roll my eyes whenever Torontonians start in on how hard done by the are, being the most irrationally hated city ever.
Oh and also, the hippies out here all cleaned themselves up and moved to Kitsilano to open up Yoga studios ages ago. It’s the hipster addicts you have to watch out for now. And the crust punks.
Yeah, you know, MBK, Vancouverites are actually pretty damn well aware of the problems Vancouver has. We do actually live here. I don’t think I ever stated that Vancouver was superior to anything; I just said that I’m from there, because I am. I’d say “make of that what you will”, but you already have.
I don’t know how much time you’ve spent in Vancouver, or how many people who are actually from Vancouver you’ve talked to, but my experience is that most Vancouverites don’t have anything NEAR the attitude you’re describing. I have yet to meet a person who’s lived here longer than a year who thinks that Vancouver is the Greatest Place Evar OMG. (Then again, the part of Vancouver I’m from is East, where the benefits of Vancouver are less visible and the drawbacks are more so. Admittedly, I’ve met some fairly obnoxious people from West Van that could probably fit your bill – they’re mostly wealthy Albertans who moved to Vancouver to retire, though.)
>> Well, like animals, humans behave differently when out of their natural habitat. My experience with
Vancouverites is to a large extent, outside of Vancouver. Just like Mac users are only assholes when you drop them into a group of PC users. (Except for that “I’m a Mac guy” I’m pretty sure he’s an asshole all the time.)
I have, however, met Torontonians whose attitude about Toronto is pretty much EXACTLY the attitude you’re, um, attributing to Vancouverites. And who’ve given me endless shit for being from Vancouver, much like you’ve been doing throughout the comments on this entry – which is why I have to roll my eyes whenever Torontonians start in on how hard done by the are, being the most irrationally hated city ever.
>> We may be experiencing the same situation. I have little experience observing Torontonians outside of Toronto.
>> I never gave you shit for being from Vancouver. My first reply was clearly a joke (especially with the slashie comment at the end.) My later reply (to V) was not even directed at you. You were the one that engaged me.
Oh and also, the hippies out here all cleaned themselves up and moved to Kitsilano to open up Yoga studios ages ago. It’s the hipster addicts you have to watch out for now. And the crust punks.
>> I’m using hippy as a general pejorative. Frankly, I think a proliferation of Yoga studios is worse than the drug problem.
I grew up in Ottawa, and even though neither of my parents worked for the federal government, I heard Ottawa cursed often enough (by people who were cursing the federal government in a metonymical way) that I seriously thought people from outside Ottawa might hate me just for being from there.
And now I live in Toronto *and* I work for the provincial government *and* my job takes me to rural places with big signs in the fields saying “government back off–this land is our land!”
But you know, lately I find that people out in the rural parts of Ontario don’t seem to have a hate-on for Ottawa or Toronto so much. Even the ones with the signs. They’re mostly pretty nice about it all, actually.
MBK, my God man, what’s with all your trash talk?!
I am from Coquitlam, BC and I work in Vancouver. I was born and raised in BC. I married a guy from Ontario. I do not HATE Toronto or those people from Toronto. I do not hink I am superior to anyone. I prefer to live here in spite of the problems (and they are legion) because of the moderate climate above all else.
I have spent some time in Ontario, and I have this to say about it: Nice people, lots of neat things to see and do there. Too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter, no spring or fall to speak of. bleh!
Still, it makes me unhappy to see this big slangin match between Vancouverites and Torontonians. Please people, don’t assume the attitude applies to everyone just because of a few small-minded idiots!
Thanks for providing Americans like myself an insight into the hate for Toronto. That amazes me, but I guess isn’t all that unexpected when I think about how I hate New York. However, I hate New York baseball teams and in particular the Yankees more than anything else. I don’t think I didn’t vote for Courtney Gailiano (I think she was a New Yorker) this year because she was from New York. I just liked Kherington Payne better.
Anyway, I enjoyed your writeup and I thank the kind people who have been posting the videos from the show on Youtube which I have in turned posted on my So You Think You Can Dance website for all the american’s to enjoy. Thank you Canada for making the off season more enjoyable for So You Think You Can Dance fans.
Oh my God! Thank heavens they voted off Sandu!!! If he had made it to the top 20, I would’ve died and the show would have no credibility left.
@Chris:
WOT IS THIS? Somebody actually discussing So You Think You Can Dance instead of arguing over whose city is more controlling and mean? Yay! 😀